In The Distant Future
by caramelapples
Summary: Sometimes, it takes harder to achieve happiness than previously thought.
1. The Mistake

**In The Distant Future**

By _caramelapples_

"Oh I see," Laura Roslin said, pretending to be thoughtful. "And is this your cat?" she asked, referring to an orange fur ball carefully drawn in between two stock figures. It looked nothing remotely like a cat but she knew that Timmy did have one at home.

"Yes," the small boy said proudly and beamed.

"Wow," she smiled. "It's pretty!" She gave the drawing back to the boy and proceeded to look at her other students' artworks. Afternoon naps were after that. Laura sighed-a contented sigh. Earth was quite different, she thought. It didn't have ships like the Galactica and the people here were oblivious to the fact that there _were_ other planets out there that had living organisms-humans in their case. She loved where she was right now. She had her cabin, she had her students and she had her life. The small town life suited her just fine. It was quiet and cosy. And not to mention, the people there were extremely friendly. There were a few men-bachelors, she presumed-who had express interest in her in but she had always declined to accept their offers for dates.

Everyone knew her-Miss Laura, the pretty schoolteacher who happened to be single (meaning available), teaching at the kindergarten. It was quite amusing when the town's ladies decided to get to know Laura the moment she settled down (news spread fast in small towns) and appeared at her cabin with gifts like baskets of fruits and cakes. But they turned out to be quite good friends as Laura soon learned. However, their frequent nagging about her needing to find a man were sometimes tiresome.

Laura didn't need to find a man. She needed one particular man, William Adama, her Admiral, her Bill. He had said that he would find her. She had given him her address but not her phone number-she hadn't known what it was yet-but it had been a month and he still hadn't made an appearance. When the Earthlings (Laura heard that was what people here were called) had requested that Bill gave talks to explain when and what happened-the whole story-they'd suggested she go as well since she played a very important role. She'd refused, not wanting to do anymore. Selfish, she thought. But after what she went through, she definitely deserved to be selfish. She needed to be selfish.

She yearned for him. She dreamt of him. Perhaps what she thought they had before they found Earth was only in her mind-that he was only humouring her. Laura remembered the minute she stepped off the Galactica, onto this planet. The overwhelming feeling rush of relief was indescribable. However, there was one feeling she understood. She had her burdens lifted off her shoulders. It made her feel as though she could float up into the sky (a real sky this time) and that she was free.

Free to hold Bill's hand and kiss him.

Free to love him and _tell _him that she loved him.

Strange how that feeling was starting to wear out. They hadn't done anything while in space, not acting upon the feelings they both felt, of course causing them to be more aware of every single little contact they shared. Or could she have imagined it all?

It wounded her to think that he didn't actually feel the same. Perhaps her aver lonely, over imaginative mind had produced all that.

"All right, kids! Nap time!" she called out, surrounded by scrambling children shorter that the height of her hips. They each took places on the ready laid mattresses and fell asleep in no time. It was easy after naps. The kids would be well-rested and Laura would send them off when the parents came for them.

It was back to her cabin after that. Warm and cosy. Quiet. And she would start to think. It was too painful to realize that one was alone. Gods… (the people on Earth-most of them-had different religions and gods. The Gods she believed in were now merely myths and legends and she was too tired to play prophet) she missed Bill so much. She was starting to think that he wouldn't come. She shrugged the thought off. Bill would come soon, she hoped.

She made a hot mug of cocoa and curled up on the couch with a paperback she got from the local bookstore. It had been so long since she'd stepped foot into a proper bookstore-the ones with the strong papery smell-and she had lingered as long as possible. The owner of the bookstore was very friendly but not overly so, Janice-one of her new friends-had actually mentioned him before when they were discussing her "potential suitors". he had told her to call him Cliff, a shorter variation of Cliffton. She was surprised to find him quite roguishly handsome, not believing Janice at first when his name first came up. He was easy going and quite charming.

By now, her paperback novel had been half-read (she was a fast reader) and she was washing her mug when she heard a knock on the door. Drying her hands on the towel hanging on the wall, she went to open the door to find Janice standing outside.

"Oh hi! Come in," Laura said, ushering her friend inside. "do you want anything to drink?"

"No, thanks. I've come to tell you something. It's a surprise me and the girls came up with ."

Laura arched an eyebrow. "Really? What is it?"

"You're going out on a date," Janice announced solemnly.

"What?" _No way, not a chance. _

"Yes, you heard me. A date. You shouldn't be alone."

"No, Jan. I told you…"

"Just once. We've set you up with someone. And made reservations. You can't back out now. It would cost us money…" Janice said, smiling.

"Who is it?" Laura wanted to know first before she agreed to anything.

"Honey, you know Cliff from the bookstore…"

_Cliff? No way. She liked him. She wasn't supposed to like him. _"Yes, I know Cliff. And no, I won't go." Laura didn't want to go out on a date with someone she actually liked because if she did, she might wind up liking him more and that was something she would rather avoid. Bill might come back anytime. Anytime now, she told herself.

"Why? He's a very nice man."

"I know…"

"Then go. I'm sure it'll be fun. And he likes you," Janice said, feeling compelled to act another fact. "He told me that he wouldn't mind getting to know you more."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Who knows? You might like him a lot."

_That's exactly why I don't want to go, _Laura thought. "I don't have anything to wear," she said, lamely.

"Oh honey, you look good in anything." Janice remarked. "Just go this once and I promise you we won't make you go again, unless of course you want to…"

"All right," Laura said. "Just this once." She wondered if Bill would be mad at her if she told him about the date. "But I don't think I have anything suitable to wear."

"You can wear that nice skirt of yours. The white flowy one you always wear to work and that red top we got you last week. Red looks good on you."

Laura smiled. Bill did tell her that red looked good on her.

"The date is tomorrow. He's picking you up at seven thirty."

"He's picking me up?" Laura asked, sounding more panicked then she intended to.

"Well of course! He's perfectly safe. Just remember to call when it's over. I want to know every little detail. Or the next morning if you got to busy that night," Janice said not bothering to wipe off the smirk on her face.

"Jan!" Laura exclaimed, in mock horror, and swapped her friend's arm. The thought of another man in her bed was quite terrifying. Another man apart from Bill, not that she had actually been in bed with Bill. "Not on a first date!" She wished that Bill was here with her to enjoy the mountains and the people and the quiet of the small town life. She wondered if Bill was thinking of her.

_He said he would come._

"We can have a go at it," he had said and held her hand. "Finally, we can do what we've always felt like doing."

"Like what?" she had asked him playfully.

"Like kissing you," he told her.

Laura was silent. He had said he wanted to kiss her. Bill wanted to kiss her.

They had never gotten the chance however, as their privacy was interrupted by the press. And he had left, leaving her to wait for him which she discovered was more torturous then any other feeling. It was true that they hadn't actually done anything physically but it didn't mean that they couldn't love each other. At least that was how she felt.

* * *

The date with cliff was pleasant-she couldn't remember the last time she was on a date. With Richard-never-and with Bill-it didn't really qualify as dates. They ate at Cliff's favourite place-the local diner-and had ice-cream at the one and only ice-cream parlour in town. Laura felt as though she was a teenager again (the diner and ice-cream parlour helped in this feeling) but without the worry of going home late. She invited him back to her cabin so they could talk when it got too cold outside. She asked if he wanted anything and they drank wine-a lot of wine-a move which she regretted immensely when she woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. 

She sat up and immediately pulled the sheets in front of her when she realized that she was naked.

_FRAK!_

Knowing what she would find when she looked to her side, she didn't bother doing so. Instead, she went into the bathroom and submitted her body to a freezing cold shower, crying at the same time. This was her fault, she thought.

_What would Bill think? _She hated herself at the moment, more than ever.

_To be continued…_


	2. Confession

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

Laura walked down the sidewalk, holding the groceries she just bought tightly for fear she might drop them. She nodded at a few parents of the children she taught (everybody knew everybody in small towns) and hurried home before it became dark. Winter was around the corner and she wasn't looking forward to it, not after New Caprica. And she wasn't looking forward to it _alone_.

She had almost given up hope that Bill would actually come. She always kept herself busy as to not think about him. She had been actively avoiding Cliff since what happened _that _night. She liked him but she couldn't afford to like him anymore than that. It was too dangerous.

She turned the key in the doorknob and headed straight for the kitchen.

Her brain only registered his presence after she laid eyes on his relaxed form sitting on the high stool for a full three seconds. She found herself unable to move from the spot she was standing on and continued to stare at him from across the counter top.

"Nice place you have here," he said, his voice was huskier than she had ever known. Or maybe it had been for a long time but she didn't really notice. He wasn't in uniform, she thought. She had scarcely seen him out of uniform on Galactica. _Where was Galactica now_? she wondered. He wore a wool sweater that she swore was the biggest turn on for her at that moment. Then, guilt started to settle in the pit of her stomach.

_Cliff._

The biggest mistake that she could ever make was a mistake that would hurt him. She was already feeling the guilt eating at her. She would have to tell him. It would be worse if somehow, he found out from someone else.

"Say something," he said, laughter in his eyes. "Don't just stand there. Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked, good-naturedly.

She dropped her groceries and in an instant, she was in his embrace, her lips crashing onto his, tears standing in her eyes. She felt as though the earth was moving under her feet as his tongue prodded hers, eyes closed. This was their first contact they've had with each other in months and _nothing_ they'd ever had was as intimate and passionate as this. "I thought you weren't coming," she whispered, after they broke apart to get the much needed air they needed.. "I was going to forget about everything we had." He stroked her hair gently realizing how long it was that he hadn't seen her.

"I'm sorry, Laura. For making you wait."

"I've missed you so much," she said, sniffing, and at the same time breathing in his scent, a little different now since he wasn't wearing his uniform.

"I'm here now." _Could she hear how much I wasn't telling her? Could she know how much I ached to touch her? Could she know how much I love and need her?_

She was almost high with joy. It had been so long since she'd felt such joy. The last time was months ago when she had first stepped foot on this planet. She pressed her body onto his and enjoyed the feeling of him being there. She could stay there the whole night, she thought.

"I have to tell you something, Bill," she said and looked into his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What is it?"

_To be continued…_


	3. Mystery of Her Actions

**In The Distant Future**

by caramelapples

**Chapter 3**

Bill frowned in confusion. "Are you all right?" _What else was there that she could find so vexing? _

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." She went to sit on the couch and he followed suit. She shifted her position so that she could see his face. "When you weren't here-before you came-I went out on a date with someone," she said and waited for his reaction.

Bill sat back on the couch and frowned deeper. "You dated someone?"

"It was one date. Janice-"

"Who's Janice?" he interrupted.

"She's a friend. Janice and the girls set me up with someone."

"If it was only one date, you shouldn't get too worried about it."

"Bill, I have to."

"Why? It's not like anything happened." He noticed a shadow cross his features. "Did it?" he asked uncertainly and held his breath.

Laura couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut. His anger was going to be overwhelming, she thought. But she needed to tell him. Slowly and not looking into his eyes, she nodded. "I'm sorry, Bill," she said, her voice breaking.

He looked as though someone had just punched him in the gut. "You slept with him?" he asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush, disbelieving.

"Yes, but I-"

"I don't want to know," he said and got up.

"Bill…" She stood up and grabbed his arm. "We had too much to drink. I didn't mean to and I can't remember anything that happened."

He yanked his arm away from her grip and turned his famous glare onto her.

"Bill please," she begged. "I'm so sorry."

The temperature in the room could have dropped several degrees despite the fire in the fireplace. His glare had the effect of several ice sculpted daggers piercing her heart.

"Please," Laura said, feeling tears prickling her eyes.

"No," he snapped. "I couldn't help staying away so long. I spent every night thinking of you here and you slept with another man? I never thought you would ever do that."

"Bill…"

"You were not who I thought you were, Laura. I thought Adar was the mistake you learned from."

The last sentence was the sentence that Laura wished she never would have to hear. She wished at that moment that she never told him about Richard. The memory itself was enough to cause her to doubt herself, her morality. At the moment, she wished that she never said anything about Cliff although she knew that she would eventually.

"I know I made mistakes, Bill! I know that! And you have no idea how much I want to take it back when I got to know you. You made me think of my actions. You were my conscience and I started to-" she broke off, letting her gaze fall on his features. "You know the phone calls we always had?"

He nodded stiffly. "Yes I do." His voice was not s cold as before.

"I always looked forward to them because I wanted to hear your voice. It made me feel protected. And I started to-" she paused and took a deep breath. "I started to fall in love with you," she choked. "I'm, so sorry, Bill."

He stood still for a moment and then turned and walked out, closing the door as he left.

"Bill, wait!" she called out and ran for the door. "Please!"

She grabbed the doorknob and yanked the door open to find herself staring at him. He stood there breathing raggedly. She gasped in surprise. "I thought you-"

A pregnant pause fell upon them. He was the one to break the silence.

"I started to fall in love with you too," he said, thickly.

She searched his face for anything that she might use as a clue but found none. He reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping a few stray tears. She closed her eyes and smiled.

* * *

The pretty schoolteacher was not single anymore. Everyone in town knew that. Laura had decided to talk to Cliff and they decided to become friends which meant that she needn't avoid him anymore and she could get books from his bookshop. Bill on the other hand found Cliff a good companion much to Laura's surprise.

"Are you all right?" Bill asked, concern prominent.

Laura seemed taken aback as she heard his question. "I'm fine," she said, not asking why he asked. "How are your eggs?"

"Delicious," he smiled, meaning what he said. Everything she cooked was the best food he'd ever had. He had never got the chance to taste her cooking before when they were floating through space.

"I'm glad."

Bill watched her eat her breakfast slowly and decided to talk about something else.

* * *

Bill woke up in the morning and found the space beside him empty. He smelled the sinfully delicious smell of bacon and told himself that he had to stop taking too much food like that. Laura seemed to think the same. She watched his salt intake like a hawk. But she rewarded him occasionally like today. He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He loved not having to get up early in the morning and actually having the chance to sleep past eight in the morning. The medicine cabinet was always locked. It was the same with Carolanne. He never bothered to ask. He went into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her scent.

"You're awake, sleepy head," she commented, giggling as he blew air behind her ear.

"I'm catching up on hundreds of hours of lost sleep while I was in the military," he replied and sat down as she served his breakfast.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she said, smiling.

"We should say that to each other more often."

"We should," she agreed.

She sat across the table and started to eat her own food.

_Vegetables and mashed potatoes? _Bill eyed her food. _Maybe she's on a diet. _Remembering that women didn't like to talk about their weight (it was one of the things that he could never understand) he decided not to say anything. If she really was on a diet, she didn't need to go on one. In fact, she seemed thinner than usual. Instead he commented, "You're beautiful."

She looked up at him and smiled. It was an odd smile, Bill decided. It was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you." She realized that he was watching her food. "I ran out of bacon," she said quickly.

"You can have mine," he offered.

"No, you have your breakfast. It's been a long time since I've eaten vegetables." She laughed a little.

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

"All right."

* * *

The fire crackled in the fireplace as they sat on the couch. "Lee's travelling."

"Travelling?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, around the world or something. I've yet to get any word from him."

"He'll be fine. He's most probably in Europe. They say it's beautiful, especially Paris and Rome." Laura shifted and snuggled closer to him. "But I like it here very much. It's quiet."

"You came home from work early today," he stated.

"I had a headache."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Don't keep asking me that."

"Okay but you seem-"

Before he could finish, she pressed her lips against his, hand roaming on his chest.

"Are you feeling well?"

She leaned in and kissed him again, not letting him speak. She held the back of his neck and pulled him almost impossibly closer. She attacked him with ferocious passion and pushed him down to lie down on the couch.

He saw a glimpse of pain cross her features but it disappeared as sudden as it appeared. Before he could apologize must have hurt her, she attacked his mouth again, making small muffled moans. Bill pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind but he knew something was definitely off.

"Laura…"

She didn't respond and pulled her sweater off, dropping it onto the floor. He was there with her and that's all that mattered. It was so easy to ignore _everything_ else.

_To be continued…_


	4. Oh Laura, Sweet Laura

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 4**

Laura gripped the sides of the counter top to steady herself. Quickly, she glanced out of the kitchen window to see Bill working on the model of a ship he had recently started building with all the precision and care she had ever seen him give. As the wave of nausea and dizziness came to pass, she poured herself a glass of water and took a sip. She shot a furtive glance at the medicine cabinet near the door. Shaking her head, she returned to slicing the cabbage for the coleslaw they would have for dinner later. She didn't complete her thoughts. Bill needed to take more vegetables.

She felt a throb of pain and the nausea returned. The pain became so bad that it was making her hands shake. She dropped the knife and squeezed her eyes shut. _Maybe one… _She took the key that she hid under the flower pot and went to the medicine cabinet. She looked outside the window again and seeing Bill there, she fumbled with the lock, her hands trembling.

* * *

Bill went inside to grab a drink and found Laura leaning on the wall, a glass of water in hand. He startled her by walking in and she immediately went to close the medicine cabinet which had been left wide open.

"Laura?"

"Yeah." She grabbed a bottle and hurriedly placed it in the cabinet. _Why won't this damned thing lock?! Lock damned it! _

"What are you doing?" She was acting strangely, he thought. She was trying to hiding something from him.

Silence.

"Laura?"

She felt him grab her hands-she struggled to shut the cabinet-and pulled the cabinet door open, only to stare in shock at the contents. She let out a cry, a heart-breaking cry of frustration.

"Are you happy now?!" She screamed. "Why?! Are you happy now?!" She grabbed the bottles of pills and threw them at him, each bottle falling to the ground, lid coming off and pills scattering the wooden floor. "Now that you know, are you happy now?!" she screamed.

"Gods Laura… What's all this?!" He was trying to shield himself from the attack.

"Get out!" she screamed at him, shutting the kitchen door on him, pushing with all her might as he tried to resist. "Get out!"

Bill felt as though the world he knew was crashing down onto him. _What the hell is going on? What are the pills she's taking? Gods, those bottles in the cabinet… Should've known that she was hiding something. The cancer-no! Not the cancer. Please not the cancer. _"Laura, please! What's going on?!" he heard himself call out to her. "Please don't do this!"

He heard faint sounds of her throwing up and barged in to find her on all fours and vomiting. "Laura, we have to get you to the hospital," he said, urgently. She flinched as he touched her arm.

"Don't," she gasped.

"What's going on? You have to tell me, Laura! Tell me!" he said, his voice frustrated and his mind spinning with a dozen thoughts. Before he knew it, she staggered up and swayed dangerously before blacking out, almost knocking the corner of the table had he not caught her in time.

"Laura!"

_Please, Laura. Please. You can't.

* * *

_

The hospital smelled faintly of disinfectant. Bill had always detested the smell.

"The cancer has advanced," the Doctor Roberts said grimly, without a hint of pity. It was professional and calm. Bill felt as though the wind had been sucked out from his lungs and he leaned back onto the chair. "Mainly because she delayed treatment during the first trimester but-"

"Come again?"

"She delayed treatment in her first trimester."

"That would mean she's _pregnant?_" Bill sat up straight. "She came to consult you?" _She had known all this time? No wonder. _

"In a small town, there aren't many specialists for things like these. However, when we detected her cancer, it was already in it's second stage but I couldn't give her chemotherapy because she was in her first trimester. Only weeks. It was advancing rapidly and it needed to be treated so when I suggested she abort the foetus so that I can give her chemo before it's too late since it was inoperable, she wouldn't hear of it. From what she told me, she had cancer a while ago but was cured."

Bill nodded. "The pills she's been taking…"

"Mild painkillers. I couldn't give her anything else or it might harm the foetus."

"How far is she?" Bill asked. "Her pregnancy."

"About eighteen weeks," the doctor said, clasping his hands on the desk. "However, any treatment that we give her will only give her about over a year and it will harm the foetus since the cancer is already advanced and radiation is most likely required."

"You mean it's a choice between Laura and the baby?" Bill asked, his heart pumping blood to his brain. _No no no! _

"Virtually, yes."

Bill hung his head and felt tears fill his eyes.

_Oh Laura, sweet Laura…_

_To be continued…_


	5. Don't Think About It

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 5**

Bill took a deep breath to calm his emotions when he went into the ward. He would have to be the strong one for them both. She was awake as she turned to him and smiled weakly. It was heartbreaking to see that the woman he loved, the woman that was incredibly strong in willpower, weak and pale lying under the crisp white blanket.

"Hi," she said. Her voice was soft, as though she was too tired to speak which was most probably the truth.

"Hey," he said and gently caressed her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Bill… I'm sorry," she said. His heart broke at the pain that shone in her eyes. "I just couldn't tell you…"

"If you-"

"No. This baby is all we have, Bill," she said.

"_You_ are all _I _have."

She lifted her hand to grip his. "I know. And you would have made me abort the baby. I can't do that. I _can't._"

"Why?" His voice came out as a strangled whisper. "Why?" he asked again. "I love you so much. I love you more than you'll ever know."

"I wanted so much to be happy… I wanted so much to love you and live the rest of my life with you," she said. She squeezed his hand and felt him squeeze back. "Promise me something."

He struggled to keep the tears from flowing. _Be strong for the both of us. _"What is it?"

"That you won't talk about this… Not until I'm ready. I want to be happy, at least for a while. However short the time is, I want to feel happy."

He furrowed his brows and felt his heart tighten. She was already giving up. The stubborn woman who never seemed to give up was giving up. "You can't-"

"_Please._"

He nodded reluctantly. "You should rest now," he said.

She was too tired to protest and welcomed the gentle haze of calm that settled on her.

Finally a tear escaped and ran down his cheek. _I love you, Laura. _

* * *

Laura sat back against the couch and curled her feet under her. She placed a hand on the gentle swell of her belly and smiled. In a few months time, she would be carrying it her arms. Her child. She remembered being extremely nervous and frightened when she found out she was pregnant. The majority of her worry came from the fact that it might be Cliff's child and she worried that Bill would leave her if it proved to be correct. She remembered the overwhelming rush of relief she felt when Cliff had told her that he had had a vasectomy a few years back when she brought the possibility up during one of her trips to the bookstore. She almost cried tears of joy. And then there was the doctor's appointment that finally caught the- _No, don't think about that. _

Realising that there was someone knocking at the door, she pulled herself up with a sigh and went to open it. The man standing in front of her was no one other than Lee Adama, or in other words, her Captain Apollo. He launched into a big hug and squeezed her tight without even saying hello.

"Careful, Lee, you might hurt the baby."

There was no mistaking that voice of his, despite listening to it everyday, she would never tire of it. Lee pulled away, grinning and went to hug his father.

"It's good to see you," Bill muttered, smiling himself. "It's good to see you." He patted his son's back.

"How did you find us?" Laura asked, still smiling widely.

"Dad left me your address before he came here and naturally I- Dad, did you just say not to hurt the-" he had a big grin plastered on his face as he looked at his father and then at Laura who blushed a deep shade of red. Lee grinned more-if it was possible.

"Lee Adama! I cannot believe that you're making me carry all these by myself!"

Laura giggled. The voice was of no one else but Kara Thrace. The younger woman walked in, dropped the bags and gave Laura a hug, a rough one but she didn't mind. She rushed to Bill and almost knocked him over, laughing. "Old Man! I've missed you!"

"Good to see you," Laura said. "I can't believe you're both here, right now."

"Kara, they're expecting a baby," Lee said, still with the grin on his face.

"Oh, good, good…" Kara said, whatever she heard, not registered in her brain yet. "What?!"

Laura sighed, but for joy. True, the peace had been shattered by none other than the spunky blonde. However, it was not unwelcome. She was glad they had come. Especially now that- _No, don't think about that. _

"Well, well, well… Someone has been busy," Kara said and grinned, joining Lee in the ranks. "To think of all those pent up tension exploding on one night…" she sighed mockingly as she saw Laura blush again. "The first time is always-"

Laura swallowed uncomfortably as she was assaulted with images of her and Bill together on their first night and those images were enough to make her collar seem tighter and room temperature seem higher.

"Kara!"

Thank the Gods for all the Lees that came with Karas…

Laura flashed an appreciative smile at him.

"All right, all right…" Kara said and rolled her eyes. "Congratulations you two!"

"Thank you," Bill said.

"I cannot believe I'm going to be a big brother!"

Laura smiled tightly but Bill was quick enough to catch her smile falter as she excused herself for a moment.

_To be continued…_

A/N- Please leave reviews! I love them and I promise to write faster if you leave them! And seeing how many hits my profile page got, I've decided to update it! My bio is there. ;-)


	6. She Is Tired

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 6**

Bill walked into the kitchen to see Laura leaning against the counter, holding a glass of water. Beads of sweat were visible on her forehead. "What's wrong?" he asked her, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He noticed that she was paler than normal. _Gods Laura, why are you doing this?_

"It was just a little pain," she assured him, not wanting to delve deeper into the subject. "I just needed a few moments…" She inhaled deeply and to Bill's relief, colour was starting to return to her cheeks. "Are you going to tell them about-" she cut herself off, not wanting to think about it.

"Do you want me to?" he asked gently and brought his hand to rest supportively o her shoulder.

She shook her head. "Not yet. I don't want to think about it…"

"All right," he said.

"We better go back out. They might get wrong ideas about what we're doing in here for so long."

"Oh I think they already have ideas…" Bill said, smirking. He wrapped his arm around her back and guided her outside to join the younger couple.

* * *

The soft light of the candles threw a calming shade of brilliance around the dining room. Bill smiled as Laura laughed throatily and tried to commit to memory every single feature of hers, how she moved-the sway of her hips as she walked, how she chewed her food, how she spoke-her voice soft and musical, how she cocked her head when she was confused and how she always smiled shyly at him when he complimented her.

Laura welcomed the laughter that came so freely every dinner. And she was _very _surprised that Kara Thrace could cook. She said something about taking cooking classes somewhere sometime ago. Their dinners were something that took Laura's mind off everything unpleasant.

"We have something for you," Kara announced, sticking a forkful of mashed potato into her mouth.

"Really?" Laura looked up from her food, eyes sparkling. Bill felt a surge of pride as he watched her glow in the candlelight. _This beautiful woman is my carrying my child and she is mine. _

Two weeks since Lee and Kara made their appearance, Laura had been happier and Bill thrived to see her free from the depressing reality that would soon overwhelm her body.

Lee got up from his seat and disappeared from the dining room.

"What is it?" Laura asked.

"Just wait and see." Kara grinned in a self-satisfied manner that she always carried around with her. "It's something that you'll love."

Lee came in and brought a wrapped parcel with him. He sat down and looked at Bill before looking at Laura. "This is when we think you started to… well, you know what I mean."

Laura took the parcel and unwrapped it, occasionally glancing at Lee or Kara who seemed to be as excited in curiosity as she was. They were gazing intently at her, awaiting her response. Bill leaned over to see what was unravelling as Laura took off the brown paper.

Laura gasped in surprise as she saw what she was holding in her hands. There she was, in the arms of Bill-who was in his uniform then, looking smart as ever. And she was smiling almost shyly as they were in motion on the dance floor. "Bill look!" she exclaimed. Bill felt a wide smile slowly take over his lips as he saw the joy that radiated from Laura's body. "We were dancing when that Baltar idiot was elected Vice-President."

"We found this amongst some old files. I don't know how it got there but we were glad we found it. Kara thought you looked cute together and-"

"Yeah!" Kara's loud voice exploded. "Sort of like it's your first dance at high school and you're dancing with your date… Wonder where you went after that…"

Laura blushed. _Was it really that obvious? So obvious until it could even be seen in a photograph? _She thought she had managed to hide the whirlpool of feelings that suddenly reared it's ugly head just as she felt Bill's hand on her body on that fateful Colonial Day. They didn't have Colonial day on Earth, she thought.

"Kara…" It was Lee. His voice had a warning tone in it.

Again Laura thanked the Gods. Lee was such a gentleman. From the start.

"Thank you," Laura said, fighting to control the tears that stung her eyes. She wouldn't break down now. She licked her lips and tried to fight the frustration that rose inside of her. _Why can't I be happy?! Why do I have to die?? I don't want to die! _"This means a lot to me," she said. "To us."

"You're welcome," both Kara and Lee said in unison.

Laura felt as though the sky was falling around her and constricting her chest. She looked at Bill who was beaming with happiness. _I don't want to die! Why?! _She felt her masquerade breaking away and she choked, bolting from her seat and rushing from the dining room. She heard voices shouting after her but she couldn't listen. All she could hear was her own angry sobs, her tears falling as though they had not been shed in years. It only made her more frustrated with herself. _Why can't I have a healthy body?! _

"Laura!" Bill shouted, rushing after her. _Gods… something was wrong. Please let her be all right…_

Lee and Kara followed behind, surprised at the usually calm woman's outburst-worry etched onto their faces. Had they upset her?

Laura rushed into the bedroom slamming the door shut and leaned on the door. She was tired… So very tired of fighting.

"Laura!" she heard Bill call, followed by Kara. All of them were worried. But she couldn't bring herself to be strong. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live and watch her precious baby grow up. Without thinking, she went to the dresser and knocked over her perfume bottle. It crashed onto the floor, causing Bill to rush in.

She felt her legs give way and she dropped onto the floor as though she had lost all her energy and ability to keep upright. Bill was immediately by her side, fearing she had collapsed. To his relief, she hadn't.

"Gods… What's happening?" Lee asked from the doorway as he watched the scene in front of him. Kara put her hand on his shoulder, staring at them.

Laura clung onto him and cried into his shoulder, sobbing something unintelligible. "I don't want to die," she whispered, her voice thick with emotions. "I'm scared," she said, holding tighter onto Bill's arm as he stroked her hair.

"Shhh.." he said, soothing her. "I'm here," he said, gentle as though he was talking to a frightened child.

Kara sensing that it was better for them to be left alone, motioned for Lee to go and she shut the door, leaving Laura and Bill on the floor. There were a million questions that she wanted to ask but not now.

Not now…

Bill lifted Laura up into his arms and carried her to the bed. "You should rest," he said. Her crying had subsided and was replaced by sharp intakes of breath. He lowered her onto the bed and pulled the blanket over her body. She looked up at him as he stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was small.

"Shhh…it's all right." He sat on the bed beside her. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Please."

He laid down beside her and she turned, facing her back to him so that he could hold her. He placed an arm over her, his hand resting on the swell of her belly. It wasn't long until she had fallen asleep and Bill slowly removed his arm, careful not to wake her.

She needed to rest, he thought and placed a kiss on her forehead, at the same time, saying a prayer to the Gods to protect her.

To be continued…

A/N-Please leave reviews after reading! I love reviews. If you don't like it, please tell me as well. Thanks.


	7. Don't Hurt The Butterfly

**In The Distant Future**

_By caramelapples_

**Chapter 7**

"I don't think I want to know what the hell is going on… Whatever it is, it's something bad," Kara said, sitting down on the couch. She ran her fingers through her short blond hair. "Gods, did you hear what she said? She said that she didn't want to die…" She laughed ironically.

Lee stood behind her, leaning on the couch. "I don't want to know either, Kara."

Silence overcame them, both knowing what the other was thinking. They waited for Bill, not knowing if he will actually make an appearance. Perhaps he would stay with Laura the whole night. But if he were to come out of the room now, they didn't want to waste the chance of asking him about the outburst without Laura's presence.

Kara threw glances at the clock hanging on the wall, its minute hand ticking like usual. Wasn't it supposed to stop when things like this happen? Wasn't the whole world supposed to stop and notice that everything was not all right?

They turned around when they heard the soft opening of the door. Bill emerged wearing a pained expression. The younger two in the room didn't have to ask for Bill to explain. He understood from their fearful looks and worried eyes. "She's asleep now," he said, finding it hard to resist running back in the room and shaking her awake, telling her that it didn't matter if she couldn't keep the baby, telling her that all he wanted was for her to be well again.

"What happened?" Lee was the one who spoke.

"She's dying. She didn't want me to tell you-not yet…" Bill pinched the bridge of his nose.

Their faces paled as they heard the former Admiral's voice tell them the awful, inevitable truth.

"Don't they have treatments for this sort of thing? It's her cancer, right? It's her frakking cancer, right?" Kara said. If _cancer _was a person, it would have been dead by now. Kara would have made sure of that.

Bill nodded grimly. "Yes it is. But the doctors can't give her any serious treatment when she's carrying the baby." He sat down beside Kara and rubbed his face with is palms. He was truly lost. "She knew about her cancer and the baby earlier than she let on. Gods…" He looked up at Lee and let out a heavy sigh. "She knew it and she hid it from me."

"I-" Lee seemed to be at a lost for words. "I'm sorry," was all he could muster without losing grip on his emotions. A mother he never had would never be around long enough to be a mother to her own child. The pain that gripped his heart took him unexpectedly. Both he and Kara. They had never thought they could care for Laura Roslin the way they did. And the more they cared, the more pain it caused.

* * *

_The butterfly fluttered its wings and settled itself comfortably on a rose in full bloom. It stayed still for a while only until it was interrupted by shadow that might threaten it. The distant wind sounded like music. _

"_Don't hurt the butterfly, Laura…" _

_The toddler turned to see her big brother watching her from the swing. Ignoring the once fascinating creature that was so colourful and could fly, she trotted clumsily to him and in a swift motion, he lifted her up into his arms and kissed her cheek. "You're starting to look like your mama with your big green eyes and cute dimples," he cooed. The toddler giggled and reached out for his nose unsuccessfully. "Can you say my name?" he asked. _

_She seemed more interested in grabbing his nose. _

"_Can you say my name, Laura?" he repeated. "Lee." _

_The nose was forgotten. "Wee." _

"_Lee." _

"_Wee." _

"_Lee." _

_And suddenly his nose was so much more interesting and fascinating. _

The sunlight from the window blinded her for a moment when she opened her eyes. Faint images of her dream came back to her. It was beautiful. Her _baby_ was beautiful. She realised that Bill had his arm around her waist (though not small as it was) as he slept in peaceful slumber. She tried to wiggle out but didn't succeed as he tightened his grip, pulling her closer.

Then she remembered last night. _That dinner! _She had broke down in that gods awful way. She winced in embarrassment as the vision of her running out of the dining room crying came back to her. _Gods, I'm a wimp. _

"Bill." She nudged him gently. "Bill."

He slowly raised his eyelids and found himself looking straight into her clear green eyes. "Morning."

She smiled. "I need to get ready to go to school," she said.

"Don't go. Sleep."

"Sleep?" she raised her eyebrows.

"You need to rest."

"I just had a full night's sleep!" she exclaimed. "And I had the most wonderful dream ever."

"Oh? Care to tell me?" he asked, not even attempting to release her.

"I dreamt of our baby…" she said, dreamily. "She was beautiful. Lee was there."

He watched her close her eyes and smile in calmness. "He called her Laura," she added.

"So we shall name her after her beautiful mother," Bill said and kissed her softly.

She nodded and placed a hand on his which was resting on her barely swollen belly. "Bill?"

"Yeah."

"I need to get to work." He removed his arm, not willingly, and watched her form retreat into the bathroom. A sudden sadness settled over his heart as he realised that he wouldn't be able to hold her every night-not when she was gone.

_To be continued…_

_ **A/N: **_**Thank you so much to all of you who have been reading and reviewing! Hopefully this chapter brings hope into this otherwise rather angsty fic. I'm very happy that you're all still reading this after a while. As usual, please leave a review! I like to know what you think. Thanks! **_  
_


	8. Wash My Sorrow Away

**A/N- **Thank you to those who reviewed! They're very much appreciated. Thanks especially to Lady Henrietta who has never failed to review! You're wonderful! I hope that you all like this chapter. Please review and improve my 15-year-old self-esteem. ;-)

* * *

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 8**

_Black and white. _

_Movement. _

"That's the heart," the doctor pointed out and both Bill and Laura smiled at the same time. Laura felt tears prickling her eyes, not from sorrow but from utmost joy that was overflowing from her heart. The pride of carrying a child surged through her body like a new meaning to live. She threw a glance at Bill just in time to see him beam with happiness. _Our child is growing inside me, _she thought.

"Do you want to know your baby's gender?" Doctor Roberts asked. "Some parents would rather keep it a surprise."

"It's a girl," Laura said. Bill held her hand. He knew that in her dream, their baby was a girl.

"Well, I didn't know you could tell," the doctor smiled, amusement glinted in his eyes when he saw how convinced his patient was.

Laura kept silent, not wanting to explain that she had a dream. The doctor flipped the switch and the monitor switched off. He handed her a few paper towels and Laura took it gratefully. She wiped off the once cool gel which was warmed by her body now and threw the paper towels away. Bill held onto her and as she stood from the bed as though she might collapse anytime. And it wasn't as though she couldn't move. In fact, she wasn't even _that _big yet.

* * *

Bill made lunch for her. She doubted that he could cook but as it turned out, he proved her very wrong. He could cook _very _well. Sitting on the grass underneath the tree, Laura leaned back against Bill. He had his arms around her, kissing the top of her head occasionally. It was fairly cold and Bill had insisted that she wrapped herself in the blanket. Winter was almost there, perhaps just round the block. The leaves on trees where already a dark reddish hue and had started falling.

"I wish I could stay here like this forever," she said, sighing after that. She rested her hand on her stomach. "I never once imagined that I would be having a baby with _you. _There was a time when I would die if I knew this was what was coming."

"I have to admit, I found you not to my liking the first time I met you."

She nodded in agreement. "The feeling was mutual."

He let out a chuckle at how serious she sounded.

"I was thinking that maybe we can make something for her," Laura said indicating her stomach. "I mean, I would like something for her to remember me by when I…um…when I'm not here anymore."

Bill felt a stab of pain. He had not allow himself to think of her not being there for days. It was easier to deny the truth and bury the pain six feet under. "Laura-"

"Bill, I know you don't want to face this. Trust me. Neither do I. But we have to, okay?"

He was silent for a moment, wishing that there was some alternate answer he could say. Finally, with a sigh of defeat, he kissed her head. "Okay."

"Right. So I was thinking a scrapbook. Everyone can help make it, you know? Kara and Lee…" she let her sentence hang.

"It's a great idea." He held her tighter as though she might slip away. He could tell that she was becoming weaker. The glow of her pregnancy covered the most jarring signs of her illness but he could tell, no matter how much she tried to hide it from him, he knew. Despite all that, he loved to watch her. Her in her sweater fitting snugly against her curves was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He would never love another woman the way he loved Laura Roslin. Not in a million years.

Bill was awoken by the soft creaking of the door. He peered at the silhouette at the door through half closed lids. Laura was sleeping on his now numb arm and he carefully pulled his arm away. Realising that the blanket had fallen from Laura's sleeping form, he adjusted it and pulled it up to make sure it covered her fully.

* * *

"Dad?"

Bill sat up. "Wait, I'll go out. I don't want to wake her."

"All right," Lee said and disappeared from the doorway. Bill placed a kiss of Laura's forehead and left the room, making sure that he closed the door softly so as to not wake her.

He went to the living room to find Lee and Kara sitting down, looking apprehensive. "What is it?"

Kara was the first one to speak. "Laura was saved before, right? From the cancer?"

"Yes," Bill said, wondering what spawned this midnight meeting. "And?"

Lee ran his fingers through his hair. "Was it Hera's blood?"

Bill nodded, not making comment.

"If we get Hera, will we be able to save Laura?" Lee asked.

"What are you saying? That there's a chance to save Laura?" Bill said, his voice becoming huskier. _Was there hope? Will Laura live after all?_

"If we could get Hera, we can save her, isn't it?' Kara said.

Bill felt light headed suddenly as though the world had become a vortex. He sat down abruptly. "Yes! My Gods, yes! Do you know where Helo and Sharon is? Or Tyrol and Cally?"

"We have to talk to Laura about this first, dad." Lee seemed uncertain. He had brought this new piece of information but he was weary of it. He and Kara had discussed it and they both knew that nobody would want to be injected with cylon blood. It was plain terrifying.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow night," Bill said, feeling hope. _Hope that had been so long scarce._

* * *

"_Absolutely not!" _

"Laura, please," Bill took a step closer intending on taking her hand.

"No!" Laura said, her breathing coming out short and rapid.

Bill reached out and took hold of her hand. "Please Laura. If you do this, you can watch our baby grow up and we can be happy together. Don't you want that? She will be able to know her mother."

She rubbed her forehead and looked up. Her eyes held a whirlpool of emotions. "If I agree, what guarantee is there that it would work? What makes you think it'll work?" Her hands shook from the power of her thoughts. She wanted to live, the Gods knew how much but she wouldn't do it this way. She already had cylon blood running in her veins. And despite it saving her life, the thought of it sent chills down her spine.

"It's worth a try." He didn't understand why she wouldn't do this.

"No! I had nightmares for weeks after the first time Baltar injected me with the baby's blood! I couldn't sleep for weeks!" she said, trembling. "And what makes you think it won't harm our baby in any way?"

"We'll do it after she's born."

"Who's going to do this?"

Bill was about to say Cottle when a sudden realisation hit him. He didn't know where Cottle was. And Cottle wasn't _even_ the one who did it. It was Baltar. And if somehow everything works out, the cylon baby's life would be gone just like that. A new miracle cure for cancer and the child would be hounded by the press and scientists, in other words become a science specimen. But it was Laura's life in question. _His Laura. _All rational thought was gone when it came to her. She seemed to be thinking of the same thing.

"It doesn't matter. Please…" He resorted to begging. _Why did she have to be so frakking stubborn even when she's dying? Didn't she want to live to see her child grow up? Our child grow up. _

"No, Bill." She looked away. "I can't. It's terrifying," she whispered.

"So you are just going to do nothing?"

"I never said that. Doctor Roberts said that treatment after the baby is born is possible. He'll induce labour as soon as he's certain that the baby will be able to survive on it's own and then he'll start treatment."

"Laura, we both know that the treatments will give you a year the most. _A frakking year! _I can't do this without you here. This is being selfish! You're not thinking about our child. Don't you think she'll be miserable without her mother?" Bill tilted her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Don't you think I'll be miserable without you?"

Tears sprang up into her eyes and she didn't have the strength to stop them. "I'll fight this and stay as long as I can but please, I can't do this to myself. I can't to this to Helo or Sharon _assuming _that they'll be willing to help… Or Tyrol and Cally. This will ruin their lives," she said, her voice so small that it was barely audible. "Please don't make me do this. Please."

He pulled her into an embrace and she cried into his shoulder. "Please…"

"I won't, I promise," he said, choking back tears of his own. _I hate you, you stupid Gods! I hate you so much! How can you take her away?! When she's the best thing that's ever happened to me?! I hate you! _He held her tighter as he'd always done every night. He was sure that she felt suffocated but he needed to have the most of her every second he could.

"But I want you with me all the time. Stop teaching," he said, gently.

She didn't even bother to protest. She needed to be close to him as well. It was never enough, the time they had. She nodded, face still buried in his shoulder. She took a deep breath to calm herself and just when she was certain that she wouldn't cry anymore, a brand new flood was released as though through a trapdoor. Bill rubbed circles in her back while whispering comforts in her ear.

_Do you hear me?! I hate you, damned Gods! I will never forgive you! _

"Take a bath," he suggested. "I'll fill the tub for you," he said and left her once he was sure she was all right. When the tub was filled, he called for her.

She slowly undressed and went into the bathroom. He lifted her up and gently put her into the warm water-filled tub. Slowly, he poured the warm water over her body as she sat holding her knees to her chest. He knelt down beside the tub and lapped the water onto her skin as though he was washing all her sorrow away with his hands.

_To be continued…_


	9. Make Believe Was Good Enough

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 9**

Laura marvelled at how her body grew and evolved with the passing of time. She wouldn't have minded staying this way longer just to be close to her child. But she knew that if she was going to live longer, the baby would have to come sooner so treatments could start. _Even so, how long would she have? _

She looked out the window and was greeted by the beautiful scene of her backyard which didn't have a fence. She could see the lake stretching out for a mile or so and the trees that framed it made it seem as though she was looking at a painting. It was quite a fantastic view. More so now than ever since the leaves had all fallen and the tips of the branches had frosted. It was only a matter of time before the white feathers started to fall from the sky.

She loved snow. She always did. But New Caprica made her more weary of it. For now, she was content just to sit inside in front of the fire place and _watch _the snow, enjoying the feel of the baby inside her despite the need to go to the bathroom increasing.

Bill had gone out to get grocery. She had never thought of the stoic Admiral as a grocery type of man. Or it could also be because he didn't want _her_ to go and get groceries, not that she wanted to anyway. It was quite troublesome. She looked out the window again and a smile appeared on her face when she saw him walking up to the door. She heard the distinctive sound of him turning the key in the doorknob. He had insisted that despite being home, she was to lock the door at all times. He was fiercely protective of her and she often took it as proof for his love.

"Hey there," he greeted and came over to kiss her. "Missed me?"

"Very much." She smiled. She liked him to tease her.

He left the groceries on the counter top in the kitchen and came to sit beside her holding a box.

"What's that?"

"I bought a camera so we could take pictures for our scrapbook project."

Laura smiled. She loved Bill Adama until her heart could burst.

"Thank you," she said. "For letting me do this."

He lifted his arms so that she could snuggle up beside him. He bent down and placed his ear on her swollen abdomen, listening to the faint sound of the baby's heartbeat. "We'll have to come up with a pet name for her. Having two of my girls with the same name can be quite confusing."

Laura was about to say, "Not when I'm gone," but she held her tongue. _Why ruin this perfect moment with reality? They could dream all they wanted, as long as they were happy. Make believe was good enough. _"Yes, I suppose it would be quite confusing…"

Bill sat up pulled her closer to him as though she wasn't close enough already. "I can't think of any names that can go with Laura," Bill said, furrowing his brows.

"We'll think of something once she's here," Laura said, careful of her words.

"You're beautiful," he said. He could never get tired of saying that.

"I'm twice of what I used to be," she said, giggling a little bit.

"I think twice of what you used to be is good."

She blushed. "It's cold today. I think it's going to snow soon."

"Yeah."

"Hmm." She sighed contentedly and rested her head on his chest. They didn't want to talk. They wanted to stay like this forever (the under-the-tree option was not very wise when one was living on the seasonal part of earth). "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

When Kara and Lee came into the living room, they were presented with Bill and Laura snoozing on the couch. They looked positively adorable together. Kara wondered how they could have managed to keep their hands of each other before Earth. _Or maybe they didn't keep their hands off each other? Maybe this has been going on since Colonial Day. Or after Kobol. They really did seem more at ease with each other after Kobol. Maybe it happened on the day that the Old Man came back for them. Under the tent when it was all raining and no one could hear- wait! Kara Thrace! Stop it, right now or you'll start having mental images and -oh FRAK! Too late. Mental images already there. _

"Kara?"

"Yeah." She turned to look at Lee.

"It really isn't that horrible."

"Huh?" She was lost.

"I mean, they're just sleeping. You have a really disgusted look on your face. We could have walked in on _worse_."

"Uh, right. I was just thinking of something else."

"Should we wake them?"

Kara thought for a moment but before she could give a reply, Laura started to stir and waking Bill in the process. They sat up disorientated for a while. "Hi," Laura offered.

"Hi," both Kara and Lee said at the same time.

"Where have you been?" Laura asked.

"We just went out," Kara said. "Look around."

Lee seemed hesitant before nodding. "We realised that we haven't seen the place since we got here."

"Okay, I'll make dinner this time," Kara chirped and disappeared into the kitchen.

Bill blinked. He knew Kara and Lee and he could read them like an open book. They were definitely hiding something which Laura remained oblivious to. And he knew it wasn't something frivolous like a date because them being together was out in the open. They seemed apprehensive which meant that what they were hiding was fairly serious. He would have to ask them about it later.

_To be continued…_

_**A/N-**_ There! Thanks for the feedback! Please leave reviews for this! Thanks for reading. :)_  
_


	10. Snow Angels In Scrapbooks

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 10**

The weather was getting colder and colder and yet it didn't seem to want to snow. It was as though it was waiting for something to happen. Laura was sure of it. When she was a little girl, she remembered having her mother tell her that when it snowed, it would mean that snow angels were coming down to play and watch over her. She had gladly believed it.

She wondered if her daughter would believe her if she told her that snow angels came down when it snowed. Maybe she would until she was old enough to believe otherwise. Laura quickly pushed an unpleasant thought to the back of her mind before the full force of it hit her. _She most probably wouldn't be there to see her baby girl grow old enough to __**not **__believe in snow angels. _She decided to write about snow angels in the scrapbook explaining everything she couldn't when she wasn't here anymore.

Kara and Lee had been oddly quiet during dinner. Bill included. She felt a little hurt that they felt the need to hide anything at all from her.

She shifted uncomfortably under the sheets and shivered a little from the cold. Bill, even in sleep, sensed her discomfort and wrapped an arm around her waist, resting on her stomach. She had been feeling more and more uncomfortable as her pregnancy progressed. It was normal, Doctor Roberts had told her. She burrowed her back against Bill's chest as settled in her warm nest of her own. The Gods were cruel to give her happiness and bitterness all at once. She stubbornly willed herself to not think about it. If she wanted to be around longer, she would have to be stronger. For Bill. For her baby. She would stay as long as possible.

"_Laura, come here!" she called to the toddler. "Come here!" _

_The little girl scrambled over to her mother and giggled delightedly as she was lifted of the ground. _

"_I love you," she said, placing a finger on the child's nose. _

"_Mama!" the little girl squealed as though it was the best word in the world. Perhaps it was at the moment. "Mama!" she cried again, with more pride this time. _

_She felt the weight of the child starting to wear down on her and sighed in relief when Bill came out of the door. He carried Laura II and kissed her on the forehead followed by one on her mother's cheek. "Da!" the child cried, as loud as she did just now. "Da!" she said proudly. _

"_Are you tired?" she heard Bill ask. _

_Laura shook her head stubbornly. She was determined not to appear weak. Not in front of her precious child. "No," she said, cursing the Gods in her head for her weak body. Suddenly her knees were to weak and she clutched desperately at Bill's arm for support. _

"_Mama!" _

She blinked owlishly and sat up. It was a dream. Pleasant at the beginning but the same couldn't be said about the end. _Dear Lords, what do you want? I've led this people to salvation and I'm going to die and you can't even let me enjoy my dream? _

She sighed and reached under her comforter to straighten her wool sweater. It was constantly twisting around her body when it was loose. In fact, it was so large that it was long enough to cover her thighs and thus, she didn't have to wear pants (it was troublesome when she couldn't see her own feet if she looked down). Bill grunted when he felt her moving around.

It was then that she noticed that the sheets were moist. Confused, she flicked the lamp on the tableside on and was horrified when she saw the sheets were stained crimson with _her _blood. She pulled her sweater up and gasped. Her thighs were bloody and she started to shake in fear. _Oh Gods, something is wrong… _

"Bill!" she said, her voice coming out strangled. "Bill, wake up!" she said, shaking his shoulders.

He opened his eyes and squinted at the sudden abundance of light. "What?" he asked, momentarily annoyed at being awoken in the middle of the night. Only when he realised that she was shaking with tears that he sat up instantly and was worried immediately. "What happened?"

She couldn't stop trembling as she pushed the sheets aside. "I'm bleeding… Something's wrong, Bill…" she said, her voice dripping with panic. "I just woke up and then I saw this…" she said, staring at her slightly parted thighs. She gripped the sheets with shaking hands. Bill paled as he saw the sight in front of him.

"I'm going to call the ambulance. Don't move." He rushed out of the room and went straight to the telephone in the living room.

"What's going on?" Kara asked, appearing at the door, yawning.

Laura let out a trembling sob as Kara approached her. Panic unleashed itself onto Kara as she climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside Laura. She pushed Laura's hair away from her face. "Oh, Laura…"

"Bill went to call…uh…the ambulance," Laura said, shaking like a leaf. Kara took both the older woman's hand into her own. "What if something bad happens? Something's wrong…" Laura said, not caring if Kara answered. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to calm down.

"It's gonna be all right," Kara soothed, not really believing herself. "It'll be fine." She felt Laura grip her hands tighter and she wasn't about to let go. She prayed hard.

"_Dear Lords of Kobol, please let her be all right… Please let the baby be all right…" _Kara mumbled under her breath as to not let Laura see how afraid she actually was. "Don't worry," she said. "It'll be all right. You'll see." _Please Lords of Kobol…_

_To be continued…_

_  
_**A/N-**Here's the next installment. I hope you liked it. Please leave reviews! They're wonderful! Thank you so much for reading!


	11. The Most Magical Words

**In The Distant Future**

By caramelapples

**Chapter 11**

Bill pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat, his heart beating wildly. Kara and Lee sat opposite him and occasionally said comforting things but never quite reaching his seemingly faraway mind. Dozens of thoughts ripped through his mind like a tornado threatening to break his calm resolve. He kept his gaze on the floor most of the time and stared at the small patterned tiles.

His view of the floor was replaced by the white shaping the obvious end of a nurse's attire. "Mr. Adama." It was a pleasant believable voice. Perhaps kind and caring even. His head shot up and he quickly stood. Kara and Lee followed suit.

"Doctor Roberts has told me to inform you that Laura is doing fine."

It was the most magical words Bill has ever heard. He restrained himself from launching into a hug with the nurse-the bearer of wonderful news.

"The baby however will have to be delivered soon," the words arranged and so very gentle. Bill felt his heart sink and the beating of his heart returned to it's previous state, wild.

He saw Doctor Roberts approach and the nurse, who also saw the doctor, excused herself and went to the doctor. Bill waited anxiously and felt his palms turn cold as the doctor came to him. "Bill," the doctor said.

"Yeah, is she okay?"

"She's stable for the moment."

"For the moment?" Bill heard his own voice rise in panic. "What does that mean? What's wrong?"

Kara and Lee both kept silent but listened intently for what the doctor might say.

"A few complications have occurred in the pregnancy. Why don't you come with me so I can explain to you both as to why the bleeding happened." Bill nodded and they walked out of the waiting room. Kara made to follow but Lee grabbed her arm and shook his head. She understood the silent message he told her through his eyes.

The sight of Laura on the hospital bed was almost to much to bear. It was a painful reminder to her mortality. The monitor beeped by her side, telling Bill that she was still there. She was awake and looked at them as they entered the room.

"Hi there," Bill said and went to her side. She smiled at him. _Why the hell were there so many machines when she seems fine? _

"As I think you should have guessed by now, complications have occurred in your pregnancy," doctor Roberts said, smiling kindly.

Laura nodded tentatively. "Yes, I should think so."

"What happened was that the placenta has separated from the uterus wall. It's called placenta abruption. This will cause bleeding, sometimes excessive as in your case. It isn't too severe but I would prefer to induce labour now as to prevent foetal distress in the future and to prevent too much blood lost. You are bleeding quite profusely and soon, we would have to give you blood transfusions. Your body has weakened from the cancer and losing blood isn't advisable. And the more you delay this, the more bleeding will occur."

Laura swallowed and reached for Bill's hand, feeling him squeeze back. "It's all right, sweetheart," he told her. "Whatever you say, doctor," Laura said.

"All right, then." He smiled at them. "I'll give you sometime to think and I will be back later so we can get through with this. Don't worry," he added. "You'll be fine."

"What-uh-caused this to happen?" Laura asked.

"There are many causes for this to happen. I should think in your case, the most likely cause will be your age. Older mothers have a higher risk for this to happen."

"Thank you," Laura said, her lips feeling dry and uncooperative.

The doctor left the room and she sunk into the pillows. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the tears. Laura Roslin hated to cry because it was rarely that she could stop once she started. She felt frustrated at herself and at her body for always betraying her at the time she most needed it to be strong.

"Hey," he said, cupping her cheek, making her look at him. "It'll be all right, Laura." He told her, trying to fight tears of his own. "Don't worry about it. The baby will be all right."

"It's not that," she said and brushed at her tears angrily. "It's me. I'm sorry, Bill. I'm so sorry. I hate this. I hate being sick all the time. It's my fault that caused this. Did you hear what the doctor said? Older mothers have a higher risk. It's me." She was trembling now and she hated herself for being weak.

"Don't you ever say that," he said sternly. "It's not your fault. It's not."

"Bill-"

He sat on the bed and pulled her close. He understood the need in her voice. "I'm sorry," she said into his shoulder.

"No." He cradled her and kissed her forehead. "She's a little fighter," he told her, placing a hand on her stomach. "We're going to be okay. I promise you that."

Her head shot up in surprise. "You promise?"

"I promise."

For Laura, it was the most magical words she has ever heard. Because when Bill promised, he will never break it. She was sure of that.

* * *

Laura leaned back on the pillows and tried to shut everything around her out. A sharp pain shot through her body and she gasped, tears forming in her eyes when it was unbearable. Bill stood beside her, stroking her sweaty cheek and matted hair, whispering sweet nothings of encouragement. She looked to him as if to say she couldn't do this anymore. Doctor Roberts who also noticed her lack of strength called her name and smiled at her. He showed nothing but a sunny disposition. 

"Laura," he said. "Just hold on in there. Don't stop pushing."

She nodded weakly. "But it's so hard-"

"Come on, sweetheart. Don't give up." Bill squeezed her hand and felt her squeeze back harder than was necessary.

Laura did as she was told, feeling as though she was going to be torn apart. The harsh fluorescent lights of the room made the atmosphere seem so cold and unsympathetic. The air in the room was thick with her fear and also anticipation.

"Oh Gods, Bill-I-ah!" She gasped as she felt the baby's head crown, gripping Bill's hand in an iron grip.

"Yes, Laura. You're doing a good job. Give it a big push," Doctor Roberts told her encouragingly.

Doctor Roberts had told her that since this was a premature birth-although not too premature, the baby would be smaller and easier to deliver. But she had never expected this. She did as she was told, pushing with all her strength and trying to keep her muscles' grip. At the moment the baby slid free and Laura slumped back into the pillows and let out a sigh of relief, breathing raggedly. The baby did not cry, her precious child did not cry and she started to feel rising panic in her throat. Just as she was about to ask, angry squalls erupted and brought the otherwise drab room to live.

"It'll all right." Bill told her, seeing the panic in her eyes as they took her child away. Doctor Roberts did not leave and continued cleaning her up. "I love you," Bill said. He really loved telling her that he loved her. And now, he was feeling proud like a peacock. His darling Laura _had_ given birth to their precious child. The thought of that made him grin smugly like a child who had just stolen a chocolate chip cookie from the baking tray before his mother returned.

"Doctor, is my baby all right?" Laura asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"She's doing fine and I think her lungs have developed enough to enable her to breath on her own since she _was _crying a bit louder than a normal baby would."

"Well, she has spunk," Laura commented almost defensively.

The Doctor smirked at that comment "But I'll have to do some check ups to see if she's healthy. And she'll have to be placed in an incubator for a while. The both of you will have to stay here for a while. And you'll start treatments in no time. Doctor Meyers will administer treatments for your cancer." Laura's attention was distracted once the nurse holding her baby came to her. "But you can hold her now," he added.

"Here," the nurse said, handing the tiny infant to Laura. She took her child nervously, afraid of dropping her. A small face looked up at her and Laura almost cried with relief. The baby looked at her through large green eyes and made small noises of content to be held by her mother. She held the tiny bundle gingerly and kissed the newborn's cheek. It was the prettiest baby she had ever seen.

"But you won't be able to breastfeed your baby because of your cancer treatments," Doctor Roberts said.

Laura nodded regretfully but did not let it upset her too much. Now, she was more preoccupied with her family.

* * *

Kara stood up and walked towards the door. "Do you think everything is all right?" 

Lee joined her. "Yes. I'm sure they're fine. And as I recall, Laura has a very high pain tolerance."

Kara allowed herself to smile. She looked down the corridor and saw Cally walking down the corridor holding a her son. Her hair was now cut short into a bob. Cally saw her and sped up her pace.

"Cally!" Kara exclaimed. "Where's Galen?"

"He's behind. Somewhere…" Cally turned and waved to her husband.

"I'm so glad you could come," Lee said and as Tyrol approached, the two men hugged. "This means a lot to us."

"We wanted to do this," Cally said. "How is she?"

"Well, the baby wanted to make an early appearance," Kara said and shrugged.

"Cottle is on his way. He found something he liked here. Golf and a really nice woman," Tyrol said. "Laura doesn't know about this?"

Lee shook his head. "We'll have to convince her. She's stubborn."

"We know. But it was Hera's blood. Is Nicky's the same? Will it be able to work?" Cally asked.

"We don't know. That's why we need Cottle. Hopefully he can do it," Lee said, rubbing his forehead.

"It's not that simple," Cottle said standing at the entrance. "It would be most likely that Laura's body has developed an immunity to the cylon blood. It won't be as effective anymore or worse, it might regard the blood cells as a virus." They all turned to look at him, each trying not to laugh at his dramatic entrance.

He was the same with the cigarette hanging from the corner from his mouth. But he was wearing a polo shirt instead if the usual white coat. "But we can try as long as the stubborn young lady agrees."

And they all broke into smiles.

_To be continued…_

**A/N- Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! **


	12. They Have Come To Play

**In The Distant Future**

_By caramelapples_

**Chapter 12**

Bill watched his precious hour old daughter and sighed a sigh of relief and content. His heart was bursting with joy at the thought of being a father but his mind was worrying over other things, such as Laura. She had fallen asleep not to long after Baby Laura was born. The infant moved a little, and stretched her arms. Bill placed a hand on the warm plastic of the incubator, smiling widely and wishing at the same time that he could touch her. She was small but her eyes were already distinctly like her mother's features.

He had decided right now and then that he would spend every waking moment of his with Laura and their child. He thanked the gods for putting Laura and Baby Laura out of danger. He felt a hand on his shoulder and was glad to see Lee with Kara behind him.

"Dad, is that her?" Lee asked, knowing fully well that the baby was his sister but feeling the need to get a _real _answer. Bill nodded and couldn't help but smile at his son. "Hi, there," the younger Adama said, bending down a little. "I'm your big brother, little sis." He beamed. "Is Laura okay?"

"Yeah, yeah she's all right." Bill took one last glance at his daughter and turned to his son.

"Tyrol and Cally are here. They have Nicky with them. And Cottle is here as well," Lee said and looked at Kara who was looking quite hopeful. _Of course she was looking hopeful. They all had to look hopeful when hope was presented, didn't they?_

Bill clenched his jaw to prevent himself from crying out in relief. There was a chance that his Laura was going to be all right and he thanked the heavens and stars for giving him that chance. _Please let this work… Please let this work… Please let this work… _It became his mantra for the moment when he prayed over and over again. _Dear Lords, please let my Laura live…_

* * *

Bill watched almost helplessly when Laura's eyes widened with shock and anger as Cally and Tyrol appeared at the doorway. They had their son with them and she felt as though she was an antagonist in a tragedy. It gave her the most sardonic feeling in her stomach. She turned a glare, weak as her body might have been, at Bill and then at Lee and Kara but then finally, her glare returned to Bill.

"You promised." Her statement was shocking, not from its words but the amount of ice it contained. _Ice that had not been present for such a long time. _Bill was surprised at how much her words could be cold if she willed them to be. He reached out for her hand and took it into his, gripping it so that she would not be able to pull away if she intended to. "You _promised_ not to do this!" Her harsh whisper was not lost on the rest of the people present in the room. They slipped out discreetly and left Bill and Laura alone, remembering their legendary disagreements back when she was President and he was Admiral. The situation would have been quite entertaining to watch had it not been a disagreement over something quite as painful as it was.

"Laura, please understand. I cannot do this without you! I am not prepared for you leaving me, not when our baby-Gods have you seen her? Laura, have you seen her?" he asked in frustration when she looked away. "She's beautiful and she's perfect and she needs her mother!"

"No! Not like this!" she said, biting her lip.

He resisted the urge to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her when she refused to look at him. Bill cupped her cheek and made her turn at him. "She needs you," Bill said quietly, his heart breaking at her sorrow. "_I _need you."

She took a sharp breath and held his hand on her cheek. "Bill…" It was a silent plea and he refused to acknowledge it. She stopped fighting her tears and allowed them to run their course. "I'm afraid."

"It'll be all right," he soothed her, internally jumping with joy at her reluctant approval.

"No, Bill. What if this doesn't work?"

"It will," he said with so much more conviction than he felt.

Laura almost laughed at herself, at how she was feeling. "You don't know that. What if it doesn't work and I die?"

He started to speak but she cut him off.

"Listen to me, Bill. What if this doesn't work? If I try this, there is no guarantee that it will work. If it does, I'll be the happiest woman here. But what if it doesn't? What if something goes wrong and I die _now_ instead of a few months time?" She had voiced her fears to him and hoped that he understood. "I'd rather have guarantee of a few months than risk dying if it doesn't work."

Bill gently took both her hands in his. "You won't die. Not now. Not after you just gave me the most precious gift. I won't let you."

"Bill…"

"Laura, if something goes wrong and-" He couldn't bring himself to say the words but they both knew what he meant. "If _that _were to happen, you will know that you did it for everyone you loved, our baby." _Every single one of us. _"Our child Laura. She's what you have to live for. _You're_ what _I'm_ living for. If you die, I can't go on." _Can't you see that I love you so much?_ "If I can't go on, what would happen to our baby?"

"_No." _She shook her head, the tears showing no sign of ever stopping.

It only served to break his heart and send such a feeling of rage through his body that he feared it was visible to her. "Godsdammit Laura! You're a selfish coward who refuses to fight, even for her child!" he suddenly snapped, through clenched teeth and dropped her hands. _Damned you, Laura! I hate you because I love you! Oh gods, I love you._

He detected fear in her eyes but was too blind to anything but his own fear of losing her prevented him from doing anything differently. Laura had never before seen him so out of control of his emotions and trembled under his suddenly intense glare, staring at him with shock and surprise that he could ever say something like that.

"You are not the woman I thought you were," he added, regretfully.

Immediately, she recoiled and pushed him away. "Get out," she said, staring at him with no emotions present in her eyes. _You are not the woman I thought you were… _"Did you hear me? _Get out!_"

He didn't hesitate as he stood up and left the room. Laura let herself cry when he was gone and tried to make as little noise as possible. Somehow crying hysterically seemed too tiring now.

_You are not the woman I thought you were._

That had stung her and she responded by recoiling like a spring. She went over the day's events. Cally, Tyrol, Lee, Kara and-oh Lords-even Cottle. They were all there and they were all helping to keep her alive. Why was she so afraid to take that chance? Why did she fear it so much when it could offer her more time with her family?

_It was the fear of failing, _her mind responded all too quickly. _No matter_, she thought. She would do it. She would have to apologize to Bill. He had been right. She was a coward. And she was selfish.

She leaned back into her pillows and looked out the window. It had been snowing ever since Laura was born. She smiled a small smile. She was right. It was waiting for something. _The snow angels had come down to play and was watching over her and her baby, _her mind told her. Ridiculous, she knew. But so very comforting and she fell into the deep softness of slumber.

The next time she woke up, Bill was sitting by her bedside and fully awake. He smiled and looked straight into her eyes. She blinked a few times and tried to sit up but he helped her by holding her shoulders and propping the pillows up so that she had better support.

"Good morning," he said, sitting and tucking a stray hair behind her ears. "I sent everyone else back to the cabin."

"Did you sleep?" she asked, quietly.

"I prefer watching you sleep. You're very adorable when you sleep, you know that?"

"Bill, I-"

"About last night, I'm sorry," he told her, warmth radiating from his eyes.

"I thought about what you said-" she started but he stopped her.

"When I said that those things, I… Don't think about what I said. You're more than I could ever imagine you were, and I'm sorry I said you were selfish. I wasn't thinking," he explained, regretting the moment he walked out of that door and left her crying. He had never felt more like an idiot than the moment he raised his voice at her and she was _trembling. _He hated himself for making her afraid. _His sweet Laura. After all that she's been through._

"I'll do it." The firmness in her voice told him that she was serious.

He grabbed her hand, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "You'll do it," he stated as though he had just won a war. Perhaps he had.

"Yes, I will. _I want to live for you, for our baby. _And if it doesn't work, I'll know that I have tried." She leaned in and he took her into his embrace, joining her on the hospital bed. "And if it _kills_ me, if this attempt kills me, I want you to know that I love you and our baby."

"I know that, Laura. I love you too," he told her and kissed her forehead. "I am not going to lose you now, more than ever. _Not now_."

She buried her face into his shoulder. _You won't…Dear Lords, please give me this chance to live. For Bill, for my baby and for myself. _

_To be continued…_

**A/N- I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I had been busy with exams and all. But now that I'm back, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As usual, reviews and feedback are very appreciated! So please leave reviews and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!**_  
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	13. Between Darkness And Light

**In The Distant Future**

_By caramelapples_

_**Chapter 13**_

In all the years Jack Cottle had been a doctor, he had never met a patient with the will-power of Laura Roslin. She was stubborn, completely regardless of her own health and a little smart ass who, to the great surprise of Jack Cottle, rubs off on you. He was concerned about her although he would rather give up his life than to ever admit it to her-or to anyone else for that matter.

He glanced at her sleeping form and allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. She really was quite adorable when she slept. He had ordered her to rest for the side effects of the impending cure would tire her, drain her of all the strength she had-and it was a lot of strength.

He had no idea how he was going to do it although he had a faint idea of what he was supposed to do. He had seen her newborn baby and, although very uncharacteristic of him, found himself liking Baby Laura. _How sappy can you get? Naming your baby after yourself… _Despite his thoughts, his heart was telling him it was cute and greatly endearing. _Where was he going to do this? _He had no lab, no sterile conditions and no Baltar_. And how the hell was he going to do it without any weird incompetent Earthling finding out? They were far behind on this… _

Unless he were to sneak in into the middle of the night. Cottle scoffed at the thought. His mind wasn't functioning properly since the hospital insisted that he stopped smoking. _Damned those signs! _Seriously, what else were he to do? They had not really talked about it but all of them agreed that this was supposed to be kept hidden. He knew that if he did it, and if it worked, the cancer might just disappear and no traces of Cylon blood will be found in Laura's blood. Not that it wasn't there, they just didn't have the knowledge that what they were seeing were Cylon blood. He watched the steady beeping of the monitor. He knew that it was there because she had been bleeding and her cancer was almost in full swing without treatment.

He would just have to do it like he did in the first war. He saved people without having a lab or sterile conditions. He would do it again. It's just that this time, he actually cared about the woman he was saving.

* * *

Doctor Roberts went over the charts for his latest and by far, the most interesting patient. It was already late and his shift was over. He could go home but he didn't want to. The man who was here earlier, introduced to him as Doctor Cottle, had returned with the father of her patient's baby. They did look suspicious although he had no reason to suspect them of doing anything. But it didn't hurt to check, in case she was asleep and they were disturbing her. _He had to act in his patient's best interest, didn't he?_

He got up from his chair and headed for Laura Roslin's ward.

He was not prepared for what he saw when he entered. The older man was standing beside her bed and was about to inject something into her forearm. There stood Bill, holding her other hand and stroking her cheek. _She seemed conscious but was she even aware of what they were doing?_

"What the hell are you doing?!"

* * *

Bill and Cottle both looked up, startled. 

"What the hell are you doing?!" the younger doctor almost yelled. "Get away from her!"

Cottle stepped back and Bill went towards him in one swift motion. "Shut up!" he hissed.

"Not until you tell me what is going on here!"

"Please," Laura's soft voice was heard telling them. "Let them explain and I can assure you that they're not trying to harm me in any way." She struggled to sit up and Bill went to her and helped. "As you can see, these gentlemen are not harming me."

"Then what are they doing?"

"We're trying to get rid of her damned cancer," Cottle said, annoyed. _Damned earth people._

"They can't tell you anymore than that," Laura said.

"And I'm supposed to trust them? You are my patient, Laura. I'm supposed to make sure you're-"

"Just let us do it. I am not going to lose her!" Bill said. "It worked the first time and it'll work again."

"You mean you've done this before? What is that anyway?"

Laura was relieved to hear the Roberts calm down and start to listen.

"We can't tell you."

"You have a cure for cancer and nobody knows about it?!" Roberts voice was incredulous.

Bill pulled the younger man aside, in view of Laura and Cottle but they couldn't hear what he was saying.

"I love that woman lying on that bed more than anything in the world. I almost lost her once and I'm not losing her again," Bill said, quietly. "Can you understand that? Do you have someone you love so greatly that the though of her gone will shatter your very being?"

Roberts nodded. "I love my wife."

"If she was dying, would you do all you can to save her?"

Roberts looked at Laura, and then at the floor. "Yes, I-I would."

"Then please let us do this. He's going to inject her with the stem cells of a child but only that child can save someone from cancer. Only that one child." Bill gazed intensely at Roberts. "I have two scenarios that might happen here tonight. She might die or she might continue living, with or without the cancer. But you have to trust us on this"

"I'll be breaking my oath," he said and ran his fingers through his hair. "I could lose my job if this goes wrong!"

"Not if you walk out of here and never saw anything," Bill told him seriously. "Please."

"All-all right," Roberts said.

"And you cannot tell anyone. We're depending o you to keep this secret. If she lives, you're doing a good thing here. You're saving a baby's mother."

Roberts smiled a little hesitantly at that. "I hope that I'm doing the right thing. Good luck, Laura. See you tomorrow." He exited the room and Bill returned to Laura's side. He took her hand in his.

"Since that idiot is gone…" Cottle said, scanning the room. "We can proceed with this."

Laura nodded and shut her eyes. She had no idea how this would be like since she was barely alive the last time this took place. She felt the piercing of the needle through her skin and winced. She felt Bill's grip tighten. Just as sudden as that, she felt as though her arm was on fire. Cottle was injecting flames into her system and she fought to not cry out in agony. Tears streamed down her face as she felt the fire spread from her arm to her chest and her heart.

The monitors beeped wildly as she trashed on the hospital bed, the seizure overcoming her senses. The white light of the fluorescent tube above her bed caused her to squeeze her eyes shut the moment she opened them. She saw Bill at her side, calling her name and he was a blurry mess. She heard Cottle as well, but mostly she heard her own heartbeat in the beeps of the monitor. She felt the ground open up below her and swallowed her into a dark vacuum. A darkness blacker than anything she's ever known.

_To be continued…_

**A/N- I hope you've enjoyed this. Please leave reviews! Thanks!**_  
_


	14. Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

In The Distant Future

By caramelapples

Chapter 14

Bill felt cold hard ice pierce his heart the moment Laura fell motionless.

Please… please… please… please… please… please…

He listened intently for the sounds of her breath and watched for any tiny movement she might make.

But there she laid, motionless, eyes closed and deathly pale.

"Laura?" he called, softly, afraid that any sound he made will banish the tiny bit of life left in her body.

Please… please… please… please… please… please…

He looked up at Cottle who was watching the monitor beside her side so intently. The straight line and even tone was killing him inside more than any other thing.

"Laura…" he said again, but this time so softly that only he himself could hear. "Please…"

And as though the Gods were listening to his silent prayer, the monitor started beeping and the even line was forming mountains and ridges. He breathed in but did not breath out, afraid that any movement might break the spell. Cottle glanced across the bed and shot Bill a look that said it was going to be all right.

Laura was going to be all right.

Laura was going to be all right!

"Before you celebrate, Bill, the doctor that's going to treat her for cancer have to do some tests and make sure that it's clear. But you have to be prepared if it turns out that it's not completely gone or if it hasn't worked at all. At this stage, we wouldn't know anything yet," Cottle said, breaking the silence.

"But for now, she'll be all right?" Bill dared to ask.

"For now, yes," Cottle said, frowning. "It's good that her system did not fight it. But her immune system might prevent it from working. The last time, her immune system was not prepared for it and did not put up any defense as thus, allowing it to destroy the cancer cells and they left her alone," he explained as Bill listened intently. "But then her immune system destroyed the stem cells and the cancer came back. And we fought it with Diloxin, remember?"

Bill nodded. The light hearted feeling was beginning to evaporate from his chest as he realized that it wasn't that simple. "But now?" he asked, pushing the stray hairs from Laura's face. She looked so beautiful when she was sleeping. She was his angel.

"Her body have most probably build a resistance against the cylon child's blood and well… She'll most probably still have the cancer after today. Maybe not as advanced, maybe it'll stop totally… But we don't know for sure that she won't succumb to it again." Cottle shot a glance at the sleeping woman. "But she's a strong one."

Bill smiled. Cottle _did_ have feelings after all. He squeezed her hand. _Please be all right, Laura. For us. Please…_

* * *

Four months later…

Laura leaned back against the rocking chair, a little bit cautiously and held the bundle closer to her.

"Relax, Laura," Bill said, chuckling, kneeling beside her.

"How exactly can I relax when this might break any moment?!" she said, eyes open as wide as saucers. "You sure it's safe?"

"I made it. Of course it's safe," Bill said.

Bill reached out to stroke his baby's soft cheek. Both mother and daughter's large eyes followed him as he adjusted his position to get a better view of his family.

"What are you-Bill!" Laura exclaimed as a white flash blinded her. "Put that thing away!" she exclaimed in horror as she realized that Bill just took a photograph of her. "Put that thing away!"

He shrugged and chuckled. She was so beautiful, he thought and his heart swelled with pride.

"Laura," he said, and gazed into her eyes, "It's for the scrapbook." The moment he said it, he felt the happiness of the moment drain out of the atmosphere. But they had made the scrapbook and he wanted to finish it before time ran out. And he knew Laura had been writing letters to their child. He wouldn't ask to read it of course for it was for their daughter when she could read, when she was old enough.

When Laura was gone.

"Oh." Laura looked as though she might cry but didn't.

She looked down into the baby's face and Baby Laura reached out for her mother's index finger. Laura smiled as she felt tiny fingers wrap around her finger and cooed at the infant. "I love you, Laura," she told her child. "Mommy loves you," she said and felt tears prickling her eyes. "Very much."

"This thing can take videos too," he informed her. "Let me take a video of you both," he suggested.

She laughed. "Doing what?" she asked, incredulous. Bill was glad that he had somehow cleared the melancholy air.

"Sing to her."

"Sing?" Again she questioned him, incredulous.

"Yes, sing to our baby. Hum to her. Sing a lullaby."

"Oh Bill…"

"Please?" he asked, showing her the gadget. "It's something she can watch."

"All right," she sighed. "Any song?"

"Any song," he affirmed, turning the digital camera on and focusing it on Laura and their baby.

She smiled slightly at him and returned her attention to her baby.

"Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing…" she sang at first, a bit unsure but went on when he gave her an encouraging smile.

"Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago… Where have all the flowers gone? Young girls picked them every one… When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?" Laura sang, her voice becoming more even, adapting to the unheard melody. She loved this song as a child and she still did.

Bill smiled and felt tears prickle his eyes as he watched her through the tiny screen, occasionally glancing at the real thing.

"Where have all the young girls gone? Long time passing…"

Baby Laura sighed softly. She was enjoying her mother sing. She was enjoying the woman's beautiful voice. She loved the warmth that she got from her mother. She loved the smell of her mother. She loved her mother to rock and bounce her gently.

"Where have all the young girls gone? Long time ago… Where have all the young girls gone? Gone to young men every one… When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?…" Laura glanced at Bill and smiled, singing at the same time.

Bill fought the urge to go over and kiss her senseless. He wanted to cry although he knew that he shouldn't as he was a man. He didn't want to be watching this in the future with their baby without _her _with him. He listened to her sing, his heart breaking with every change of note, with every smile she gave him.

"Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing… Where have all the young men gone? Long time ago.."

Bill felt the warm liquid spilling over and staining his face but he couldn't care to fight them anymore as he watched the woman he loved rock their child and singing to her. _Where will my Laura go?_

"Where have all the young men gone? Gone to soldier every one… When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing… Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time ago… Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards every one…" she looked up at Bill and saw him crying, her heart constricting and she held her baby closer to her. She broke off and stared longingly at him.

"Go on," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing… Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago…" she started again. "Where have all the graveyards gone?" she sang, trying to keep her voice steady as tears stung her eyes. "Gone to flower every one…"

Laura continued singing the last two lines and brushed angrily at a tear. Bill switched off the gadget and went to her side. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you both so much…"

Where have all the flowers gone?

To be continued…

**A/N- I heard Marlene Dietrich singing 'Where Have All The ****Flowers Gone?' and I had to put it in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be the Epilogue. All feedback greatly appreciated! So tell me if you like it, dislike it or how you felt about this chapter via the button at the bottom! Thanks! **


	15. Epilogue

In The Distant Future

by caramelapples

__

Epilogue

Laura relaxed into Bill's chest as his arms encircled her, holding her in a warm embrace. They sat under the large tree that threw a certain amount of shade over them. She held his hands in hers and gazed wistfully at the view of the lake and sky, a perfect picture of peace and harmony. Bill slightly leaned his chin towards her head, breathing in the fresh and floral scent of her shampoo. Most of the snow had melted away and the green that was uncovered by the whiteness had been surprising. Laura was content just to be in Bill's embrace, knowing that it was best to make the most of what she could.

There was a slight throb in her left breast but merely enough to serve as a reminder, barely causing any pain. The moist breeze from the lake was cooling to her slightly flushed cheeks. She had felt quite well today, less of the nausea and headache. She could even eat a full meal for breakfast and could lift her daughter from the cot in their bedroom, no doubt for just a little while but still, she was glad that she could accomplish the task. Now, she tried to soak up how she was feeling, committing to memory how they fitted so well together. A distant cry was heard and she made a move to get up but Bill's hold was firm on her.

"It's all right. Let Kara or Lee go to her," he said, softly. His voice was filled with regret, Laura could hear it, but she was glad that she was able to spend more time with Bill. She said a prayer deep within her heart and asked the Gods to forgive her for being selfish, for not attending to her child.

"Okay," she whispered, leaning into him so that he could kiss her cheek.

"Do you remember the first time we saw each other?" he asked, slowly stroking her arm.

She laughed and tilted her head backwards, allowing Bill to kiss her again. "We couldn't stand to be near each other," she stated, turning halfway back so she could get a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye.

"I thought you were beautiful," he said, smiling against her hair. "You are beautiful now."

"You did not," she said, disbelieving. "We didn't think very much of each other. That I can tell you." Baby Laura's cries and died down and her mother felt calmer and more relieved to know that either Kara or Lee would be there.

"I did think you were beautiful," Bill said, holding her closer. "You were annoying and infuriating _but _very beautiful," he breathed, remembering how she provoked him on their first meeting.

"You didn't look so bad yourself," she said, smiling. "I thought you looked quite… _handsome._"

She laughed again and Bill felt a stab of pain in his heart. He couldn't help the sting of tears behind his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair again. It calmed him considerably. He fell silent, not knowing what to say. _Why didn't the treatment work? Why didn't Nicky's blood save Laura like Hera's had? _Bill would do anything to have more time with Laura, and his _other _Laura. He would do anything to have his family together.

Laura and Laura, Kara… Lee… They were each as important to him as the other.

"Why?"

Laura turned slightly and Bill realized that he had just spoken his thoughts out loud. "Why what?" she asked, almost hesitantly.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

Even without him saying it, Laura knew what he was thinking. Or at least had some vague idea as to what he was talking about. Rather, what he was thinking. She placed her hand on his to stop him from stroking her arm. "Bill…"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to accept this," she said, her voice was firm. "Accept that I am not going to be here for long," she told him, regretting that she was causing him pain. But Bill had been in denial for quite some time and she had let him. She didn't want him to be a nervous wreck when she wasn't her anymore. Kara and Lee would always be there for him and she knew that. She also needed him to be strong for their child who was a part of her and of him.

Of them. Of their love.

"Promise me," she said. "Promise me that you will accept this for our daughter," she told him and felt him nod.

"It's not going to be easy," he told her, his voice breaking.

"I know. But you'll have to take care of yourself. You aren't exactly young, Bill. And we have a baby."

He nodded, not wanting to her to hear him cry. "I promise."

She moved out of his embrace and stood up slowly. Bill jumped to his feet and wrapped an arm around her waist, both of them walking inside for lunch. "I love you," Laura whispered, looking up at him. "And I'll always be there with you."

He tugged her closer. "I love you, too and I'll know when you're there. I'll always know, Laura."

He saw her smile and decides that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Laura's smile.

"Come, Kara and Lee will be waiting for us. We wouldn't want to eat cold food, would we?" Bill said, smiling at her.

"No, we wouldn't," she agreed.

"And I'm sure we have someone very eager to see her Mommy after _a whole morning _without her!" Bill said, exaggeratingly and grinned. Laura broke out in a carefree laughter, clutching at his arm, and burying her face in his arm. For that tiny fleeting moment, nothing was on their thoughts but how happy they were.

_No, _Bill thought. _Laura laughing was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen._

* * *

It was warm. It was morning already and the sun had come up. Bill turned to Laura and saw her sleeping form facing him. She was an angel. His angel. He threw a glance at the cot beside the bed, on his side of the bed. Baby Laura was still sleeping peacefully and he smiled at how both mother and daughter mirrored each other. He turned back to Laura and impulsively stroked her cheek with his thumb. Cold. No warmth.

No Laura.

His heart stopping. "Laura?" he whispered. "Stay a little longer?" he asked, as though she could hear him. "A short while?" He closed his eyes and leaned back down on the pillow, still gazing at his angel.

He took a deep breath and pushed himself back up on his elbows. "I'm sure someone wouldn't be pleased to not have her Mommy with her the whole morning…" he told her, fighting to keep his voice audible. She was still his angel, _sleeping_, unmoving, pure and entirely his. "Kara wouldn't be pleased to have prepared extra breakfast…" He felt a sob trying to break free and took another deep breath.

Bill touched her cheek again, ignoring the lack of warmth. "You'll always be here, right?" he asked her, his heart breaking at the same time. "For us?"

* * *

Kara beamed as she brought out a large cake with exactly six candles on it, arranged so that it wouldn't spoil the teddy bear image in the middle. Apart from the candles, the entire room was dark. Everyone sang 'Happy Birthday,' with the exception of Cottle who grunted and crossed his arms. A loud rumble of applause was heard and whistles went around the room as she set the cake right in front of the birthday girl, who squealed with delight when she saw that it was a chocolate cake. 

"Laura, careful," Bill chided, afraid that his little angel would fall of the chair she was standing on.

"Okay, Daddy!" she exclaimed, grinning and never taking her eyes of the cake. Bill went up behind her and held her waist, just to make sure she wouldn't fall of the chair from excitement. Her plastic tiara sparkled in the light of the candles and she clapped her hands together. She turned to her father and whispered conspirationally. "It's chocolate!" Bill smiled as he saw how his little angel was becoming like her mother. Her red hair was illuminated by the candlelight and her large green eyes were the outlet of her emotions.

"Make a wish, Laura!" Lee called from across the table and Kara smiled encouragingly. Bill nodded and Laura beamed, closing her eyes and making her wish. Bill couldn't have had been prouder of the red head he was holding

* * *

Bill leaned against the headboard of Laura's bed, which was almost populated by teddy bears and other furry soft toys. His daughter leaned against him and held the sheet of paper. 

"Brushed your teeth?"

Laura nodded, her red curl bouncing. "Yeah, I did. Kara said that I would have cav-tees if I didn't."

"Cav-tees?" Bill furrowed his brows, and then smiled when he realized what she was saying.

"Yeah."

"It's cavities," he said, slowly so she could follow.

"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes. "Can I read it now?" indicating the sheet of paper. Bill smiled at her impatience.

"This will be your Mommy's birthday present," Bill told her, stroking her hair. 'It's a letter for you."

Laura eagerly started reading aloud as Bill listened on. _"My dearest Angel, I am sitting on the bed as I write this letter. It is supposed to be winter but it is not snowing yet. Your father is lying asleep beside me and I am sad to say that he is snoring rather loudly. He doesn't snore often but when he does, he is tired. The first thing I want you to know about me, my darling, is that I love you and your father more than anything else…"_

Her reading did break off occasionally as she paused to try and pronounce some words and ask her father what some words meant. But Bill felt pride tugging at his heart when Laura could almost read everything so far by herself. He listened intently to what Laura had written and watched the other Laura in his life reading it aloud.

"You would think that it would be funny that when your father and I first met, we disliked each other immensely…"

And as Bill heard his child voice reading his the words so lovingly penned, there was nothing in the world he wouldn't give up for this.

"Daddy, what's 'immensely'?"

Bill carefully explained the meaning of the word and watched as his daughter eagerly continued reading, her voice like music to her father's ears.

Laura, you are here now, aren't you? Can you hear her reading? She's perfect. And she's so beautiful, just like you. She's six years old today…. And she's really smart too. It's her sixth winter now…

And as though on cue, white snowflakes started to fall from the sky. Bill smiled and felt warm all over.

You really are here…

THE END

A/N-So here's the end. I'm sad to end it but I had to. Every story has it's end. Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed in the past. :o)

  



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